In Amritsar, a city in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab, cauliflower growers are complaining of low market prices this year, as they are forced to sell their crop for Rs 5 per kg in the market. However, the retail prices in the city are still hovering around Rs 20-25 per kg. Around 10 days ago, the retail price of the vegetable was around Rs 40 per kg.
“Those who tend to the crop for three months and do laborious work do not get the benefit. On the other hand, the traders make more money without doing much work,” said Rawel Singh, a grower.
However, last year the market price of cauliflower dropped to as low as Rs 1 per kg when the farmers had to destroy their crops. “Last year, the farmers who had sown early-harvesting varieties made profits and those who had sown late had incurred losses, but this year the prices have dropped too early,” said Baljinder Singh of Verka.
The huge gap between the prices of vegetables when these are procured from the farmers and the price at which these are sold to customers in the city is also against the interests of the people. While the retail price of cauliflower in the Ram Bagh area is Rs 10 per kg, it varies from Rs 20 to Rs 25 in the posher areas of the city.
(1 Indian Rupee=0.015USD)
Source: www.tribuneindia.com
